First we found out that we should be eating everything in extremely small bowls and teeny tiny plates in order to trick our brains into eating smaller portions. Now it turns out the color of the dishes we eat off of might also be causing us to overeat.

Cornell eating behavior expert Brian Wansink conducted an experiment in which he took 60 people attending a buffet lunch and put half of them on a line that was serving white Alfredo sauce on pasta. The other half of the people were assigned to a line that was serving red marinara sauce on pasta. People in both lines were randomly given either a red or white plate. He found that those people whose plates matched the color of their food ended up eating much more than the people who had mismatching plate and entree.

its almost as if our dishes have it out for us and are actively trying to ruin our dinner. But luckily, there's a way to beat them at their own game: Buy a set of miniature dishes in every color. Then be sure to consult a color wheel before you serve every meal and pick a plate that is the complementary color to whatever dish you've made. You'll have your portions under control in no time—just don't do anything crazy like try to eat a multi-colored stew or salad because it will cause your brain to melt.